Various Ways to Say “Hello”

“Hi”–This is the everyday expression that you should probably use most.

“Good morning”–Say this the first time you see someone in the morning. It sounds nice, though a little formal.

“Morning!”–This is a more casual version of “Good morning”

“Good afternoon” / “Good evening”–These are more formal than “Good morning”. You might say “Good afternoon” to a customer that you don’t know well, or on stage when giving a speech or lecture.

“Hey”–You may use it with people that you know well. It is not exactly rude to use it with strangers, but, it might be confusing.

“What’s up?”–This sounds casual and cool. It doesn’t need to be answered.

“Sup?”–This is a slang version of “What’s up?”. Use it if you are a teenager.

“How’s it going?”–It looks like a question, but sometimes it’s not. You can say this to someone instead of “Hello”.

“Howdy”–A Southern way to say “Hello”. You might sound like a cowboy if you use it.

“Well hello!”–It shows that you’re surprised to see someone, or you haven’t seen them in a long time.

“Why hello there”–A man might say this to a beautiful woman, including his won girlfriend or wife.

“Yo”–This is hip-hop slang. When you say this, you sound either tough and cool, or silly.

“Greetings!”–An extremely formal greeting. Well you can use it if you are tired of using other phrases.

“Look who it is!”–You can use this when you see someone that you haven’t seen in a long time. It sounds really excited.

“Look what the cat dragged in!”–This is an energetic, teasing way to say “Hello” to someone that you haven’t seen in a while. It’s a kind of joke. You’re saying that the person looks like a dead mouse or some piece of trash that a cat has found and carried inside. Of course, it’s not serious. You only say this to tease the person. But not everyone thinks this joke is funny.